Neither more nor less

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Fire at 215 East 4th Street

Not the coldest of nights tonight but at 34 degrees not a good night to be standing on the sidewalk in your bare feet . That's what some had to do tonight though thanks to a fire in their building .

Tonight at 9:30 or so a fire burned in the top floor of 215 East 4th Street . We could see a good bit of brownish smoke issuing from the front windows of the top floor . These windows had been broken out by FDNY to vent smoke and fumes . We saw no flames . We do not know at this time the extent or cause of the fire . The fire seemed to be mostly extinguished by 10:00 PM .

Biker Bill says : "You Always Gotta Have a Little Air of Mystery About You"

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Thursday Night Tussle on Avenue A ...

It all started with a comment pertaining to race that was perceived as an insult leading to a fight . It ended with the intersection of 1st avenue and St. Marks Place full of cop cars and the remainder of the evening punctuated with attempts to continue tumult and turmoil on avenue A .

On a Thursday night almost 2 weeks ago , outside Odessa Bar , a white male said something to another patron that was overheard by others . Those others took offense asking "you calling me a nigger ?"; this remark we heard . We also heard "you telling me you got a weapon?"--later some said that they saw a taser in the white males hand--but we never saw a weapon .We were perhaps 75 or so feet from this developing confrontation involving 5 people that had all been drinking when we heard these words .

We had noticed the white male earlier at Ray's when he flashed a folded handful of cash and spoke loudly ,boisterously , occasionally uttering something in Ukrainian to Ray . Clearly he had been drinking : the black and Hispanic males soon to be vocal , hot with rage and in his face out side Odessa Bar had also been drinking .

The evening's brutal contest lasted 5 minutes , perhaps a bit more , with two of the black males mostly playing with their opponent , throwing some quick punches that connected painfully and a rough tussle or two at sidewalk level . Police were called by several people including the Odessa Bar but no response was seen until perhaps 20 minutes after the fight had ended . After taking a beating the exhausted white male was pulled in off the street by the Odessa bartender and some patrons . This was not the end though .

Half an hour or so later the white male appeared on the street in front of the bar and again challenged his opponents . The two black males that he was again confronting , regulars on avenue A , retreated up avenue A to the corner of St. Marks Place and there turned and headed west on that street . The white male pursued , cell phone now to his ear .

On St. Marks Place between avenue A and 1st avenue , confrontations twice resulted in the white male landing in a pile of garbage that had been placed on the street for night pick-up . As the two black males disappeared into the night the white male continued west on St Marks Place with his cellphone to his ear . Finally the white male also disappeared ... but just as the intersection of St Marks Place and 1st avenue filled with police RMPs . An officer-in-trouble call had been broadcast .

In spite of the previous violence and all of the belated police presence there were no arrests . The only wounds that we saw were a facial cut or tear from a punch received by a very drunken Hispanic minor participant . Police for a while seemed to be every where but eventually left the scene ... and attempts to rekindle the evening's brutal discord continued .

The white male and his two black opponents both returned to avenue A several times , looking to make something happen . The white male , who claimed to be an off-duty EMS worker--thus the officer-in-trouble call--was seen peeling $5 leaves from the notably large cabbage of green in his pocket . He was paying some on the street to spot his opponents for him while he continued drinking in Odessa Bar . Somehow they all managed to just miss each other on the avenue . Nothing more came of the evening

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Marlene "Spanging" on Avenue A ...

Today Marlene was spanging on avenue A ; she had some coin showing ... and probably somewhat more in her pocket . She had made a little money , money that she needs to have a few little extras beyond the room and board she receives at the BRC (Bowery Residents committee) shelter on the Bowery .

Today she noted that she now mostly spanges in the area around the intersection of 2nd avenue and St Marks Place . She claims that she can make more money over there than on avenue A . There are more people to touch for change there but there are also more cops . For old times sake tonight she was back on old familiar turf , avenue A .

Marlene was once more commonly known as "Hot Dog" on avenue A and in Tompkins Square Park . For 20 years and then some she was one of the top 10 hell raisers on the street . She's calmer now , is off the sauce and is living off the street . Her life is much better now . She is waiting for permanent housing .

The BRC housing that she has now is temporary . She is waiting for her "package"( the paperwork) to go through to all the right places . When that happens , if she continues to live the exemplary life that she now lives , she will receive permanent residency somewhere in the city or perhaps across the river in Jersey .

Tuesday ,18:30 Hrs : Unoccupied Cadillac SUV Spontaneously Combusts While Honking at the Corner of 5th Street and Avenue A

Monday Night at the Pyramid

Monday, March 09, 2009

"Shots Fired" Claimed at Drom Sunday Night ...

It was claimed late Sunday night that a small caliber firearm had been discharged outside Drom at 85 avenue A . One of the security personnel employed by the club suggested that the unremarkable report that was heard was possibly produced by a starters pistol , the kind used at athletic events . It was claimed by security personnel that the weapon was fired on the sidewalk out side of the club . Police at 12:40 AM took the "shots fired" call seriously ; traveling at speed with lights flashing to the scene .

Though some individuals attested to the fact of a firearm being fired , no physical evidence that we know of remained of such an event , no casing , no powder stains , no smell of a discharged weapon , no weapon .

This Sunday evening's special event at Drom was titled " Music meets Fashion " , such was written on the sandwich board outside the club . According to some at the scene , including security personnel , several underage individuals that wanted to attend the event were denied access because of their age . These individuals responded in a heated , disruptive manner creating a chaotic and threatening situation for 20 minutes or so on the sidewalk and in the street up and down the length of the avenue A block from 6th street to 5th street . Police , having arrived in sufficient number , kept the situation under control , though at times violent conflict seemed to threaten .

As far as we know no one was arrested but it appeared that the owner of a Porsche SUV was given a ticket for either parking or standing in a bus stop zone .